(NNPA)—Ben Sherwood in his book, “The Survivors Club,” studied people who had survived some of the most horrendous human tragedies. According to Sherwood, “No matter the adversity, the navy says, survival is a mentality, a way of thinking. Survival is also a lens, a way of perceiving the world around you. The survivors in the military share a constant outlook and approach, which they believe can also be applied to the struggles of everyday life. They understand that crisis is inevitable and they anticipate adversity. When they face a challenge, they observe and analyze the situation, devise a plan, and move decisively. If things go wrong, they adapt and improvise. If they get overwhelmed, they recover quickly. They also know how to wait for the worst to end.”

by Charlene Crowell

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Some might wonder how two cities as demographically and economically different as Savannah, Ga. and Seattle, Wash. would find common interests. After all, Savannah’s approximately 128,000 residents are known for quaint gentility, weeping willows and tributes to native son, the late composer Johnny Mercer. With 600,000 residents in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle’s world-famous Space Needle, is home to Starbucks and the natural beauty of Puget Sound. The cities are also -- literally -- on two different coasts.

Yet despite their vastly different profiles, these cities are among a 10-member municipal coalition from varying states and regions that have chosen to unite their voices, influence and resources on behalf of low-income residents in the elusive pursuit of financial reform.  Known as Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE), the coalition is the nation’s first and only financial empowerment coalition of municipal governments. Their mission is to “aggressively and creatively leverage local opportunities, resources and powers to improve the financial health of their residents.”

Those now debating and bargaining for influence to re-shape the current financial reform bill in the U.S. Senate would be well-advised to heed the concerns of municipal officials. Across the country, disgruntled citizens seldom take their plights to Washington, DC. But they can and do make their way to city halls and council chambers where playing political dodge ball on a hot issue usually leads to disastrous results for everyone.

The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) holds the view that real financial reform should support federal policies and regulation working in concert with other levels of government to eliminate the current and confusing turnstile that most consumers feel caught in. So it seems that CFE and CRL share an important goal: When it comes to finance, consumers need and deserve a transparent process that will resolve questions regarding terms, debts, and responsibilities of all parties.

Supported by organizations that includes the Annie. E. Casey Foundation, National League of Cities, William J. Clinton Foundation and others, the CFE coalition’s sister cities are: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark (NJ), New York, Providence (RI), San Antonio and San Francisco.

Together, these 10 municipalities are forging three specific goals:

Share data, best practices and strategies to improve their cities; work strategically with state and national stakeholders to advance a financial empowerment agenda; and

Increase public awareness of key issues and opportunities.

For example, CFE was an early supporter of the proposed federal Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA). Last fall, a letter was sent to the leadership in the U.S. House and Senate that called for CFPA to have authority over both bank and non-bank financial service providers.

The October 7, 2009 letter, co-signed by CFE co-chairs, Jonathan Mintz, Commissioner for New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs and Jose Cisneros, Treasurer for the City and County of San Francisco said in part, “The financial empowerment efforts of CFE Coalition cities have had significant impacts on the populations of some of America’s largest metropolitan areas, helping residents with low to moderate incomes access mainstream banking services, obtain high-quality financial education and counseling, and designing innovative asset building efforts.”

Continuing Mintz and Cisneros added, “However much more could be accomplished by coupling these municipal initiatives with a coordinated federal effort to protect and empower users of financial services.”

Should anyone question the utility of inter-governmental coordination, recall Hurricane Katrina. It was the inability of local, state and federal governments to work together efficiently that worsened and prolonged that crisis. Even today after several years, New Orleans has yet to fully recover.

Economically speaking, the current financial crisis is another disaster: 48 states are in a deficit mode; according to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, these deficits will trigger teacher layoffs in the range of 100,000-300,000 across the country.

According to CRL’s own research, every 13 seconds another foreclosure occurs and 6.6 million foreclosures have occurred since 2007. Moreover, nearly one in four homeowners now owe more than their house is worth and over 69 million homes nearby these foreclosures have lost property value as well.

In other words, this nation needs to pass a bill that sets a federal floor, not a ceiling, to what consumers have a right to expect in financial services from mortgages, to credit cards, payday and title loans and more.

Charlene Crowell is the Center for Responsible Lending’s Communications Manager for State Policy and Outreach. She can be reached at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Business series

MAY 13—The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host their Business Program Series at 12:15-1 p.m. at the Downtown & Business branch, 612 Smithfield St. The topic is “How to Start a Professional Consulting Business.” Marilyn Landis, president and CEO of Basic Business Concepts Inc., will discuss practical tips on how to start a successful consulting business and what is expected. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 412-281-7141.

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Over the weekend, President Obama, the First Lady and several other Obama administration officials delivered commencement speeches at many of the nation's historically Black colleges and universities.

The President sent off Hampton University's graduating class on Sunday while the first lady, Michelle Obama, spoke at the University ofArkansas – Pine Bluff the day prior. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Domestic Policy Director Melody Barnes, who addressed Xavier University and Virginia Union University, respectfully, as well as two lower-level administrators, who spoke at Wiley and Huston-Tillotson Universities, also spoke on Saturday.

The series of commencements are a part of the Obama Administration's strategic outreach and promotion of Americas Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). While many, such as Howard University and Spelman Collage, are considered among nation’s top schools, almost all of the HBCUs are facing economic setbacks and limited-resources.

In February, the president signed a White House initiative to strengthen HBCUs and he set a goal of historically Black institutions achieving the highest percentage of college graduates in the world by the year 2020. Obama has signed legislation that will give $1 billion dollars in funding to HBCUs and other predominantly Black institutions over the next decade. He has also nearly doubled the aid available in the Pell Grant program.

More than half of the students attending HBCUs qualify for Pell Grants and other financial aid. The president, during a recent White House ceremony honoring HBCUs, spoke of the importance of these institutions to the well-being of not just the African-American community, but to the entire nation.

“We're not only doing this because these schools are a gateway to abetter future for African Americans; we’re doing it because theirsuccess is vital to a better future for all Americans,” Obama said. President Obama's senior advisor Valerie Jarrett is scheduled to address Morgan State University in Baltimore on Saturday. On Sunday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is tasked to speak to Morehouse College in Atlanta while United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice will deliver the commencement speak to Morehouse's sister school Spelman College, also in Atlanta.